


Enough

by clarkjoekent



Series: Nara Clan adopts Nart [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Danzo and Hiruzen are awful, Gen, Nart gets the love he deserves, Shikaku goes apeshit and we love to see it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24280744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarkjoekent/pseuds/clarkjoekent
Summary: Shikaku is known for being calm, cool, and collected. It takes a lot to rile the Nara up but when he's at the point of no return, he's not afraid to break a few bones. When he finds out about the abhorrent conditions of Naruto's life he has no choice but the step in and fight.
Series: Nara Clan adopts Nart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788025
Comments: 5
Kudos: 87





	Enough

"Dad?" Shikamaru poked his head into his father's bedroom. "Dad?"

Shikaku was trying to catch a nap before the big council meeting Lord Third had set up. Something about numbers and funding. Shikaku sighed and turned his head in his son's direction.

"Yeah, Shika?"

"I want to invite another person tonight for the sleepover." Shikamaru looked far too timid for such a simple request. Shikaku eyed his son and then sat up.

"Who?" He patted Yoshino's side of the bed and Shikamaru jumped up.

"Naruto. He's a kid in my class but he's got no friends, I thought I’d invite him so he won’t be lonely anymore."

"What did your mother say?" He didn't want to step on his wife's toes, especially because she will be here watching them while he's listening to Danzo drone on about nonsensical funding.

"She told me to ask you." Shikamaru pouted, knowing all the tricks to persuade his father.

"Naruto. Hmmm. I don't care. Go ahead and invite him." Shikaku shrugged and ruffled his son's hair. Shikamaru wasted no time running down the hallway to tell his mom. Shikaku scratched his beard and yawned. He got no extra sleep and it was time for work. He got dressed and walked out to the kitchen to grab some strong coffee and a kiss from his wife.

"I can't believe you said yes." Yoshino threw her husband a funny look.

"Why? He's just a kid. Shikamaru says he has no friends." Shikaku knew the name sounded familiar but nothing was coming to mind.

"Yeah, no one wants to get near him. The Nine Tails remember?"

"What?" Shikaku stared at the coffee in his mug and then it hit him. "Uzumaki."

"There he is. Welcome back." Yoshino snorted. She kissed him and walked out into the living room, ready to wrangle a bunch of 5 year olds.

"Hmm. He's just a kid. No worries." Shikaku chugged the rest of the hot coffee and left the house.

He meandered into the council room and surveyed the mess of old men trying to decide the future for the village. He scoffed and sat down in the closest seat to the entrance. He knew he was getting up there in age, already 30 but to say he was the youngest in the room was an understatement. He pushed for Minato to be Hokage because of his age and his ability to see past the money. No one in this room was willing to loosen their purse strings for anything that was deemed important. It was a losing battle and Shikaku was close to throwing in the towel.

That is until Danzo entered the room and his need to bring the old man down was reignited. They never got along, no matter what Danzo presented Shikaku always found a hole and shot him down.

Of course Danzo attempted the same but Shikaku would just glare him down or talk over him until he shut up.

Recently Shikaku was put in charge of shifting funds around for various organizations. Danzo's name popped up with some organization and Shikaku immediately negated funds. He was sure the old man was pissed off and would be coming for blood.

It took 4 hours to discuss everything and Shikaku was ready to kill. He managed to keep money away from Danzo but the council wanted more military funding which meant some of the organizations put into place after the Nine Tails attack were disbanded. The names weren't listed so Shikaku had no idea which ones lost funding. He argued until he was horse but the threat of another war meant his words fell on deaf ears.

He found out shortly after the meeting that it was the Orphans fund and the Rebuild for Shinobi organisations that were disbanded. Both provided homes and necessary funds to those who lost parents, families, and their property. Danzo spared no time in gloating.

Frustrated and tired, Shikaku wandered home, taking longer than usual so he could calm down and think. The Nara clan had money they could funnel to help, he could also wrangle in the Inuzuka clan and Uchiha if he begged. No doubt something Fugaku would love to see.

He walked into his home and spotted the mass of kids in the living room. Shikamaru brought out his favorite games and they were playing in the middle of the room. The kids were laughing and all the anger Shikaku held in was instantly dissolved.

He smiled at his son and then locked eyes with Naruto. The kid looked thin and tired but he still had a smile on his face.

"Thank you for letting Shika invite me!" Naruto waved at Shikaku. His blue eyes matched both of his parents and it made Shikaku's heart hurt. 

"Why wouldn't I let you come over?" Shikaku watched something flash in the kids eyes. He nodded to the rest of the kids and then went to find Yoshino.

He found her in their room, she had a small orange jacket in her hands. "If Kushina knew about how they treat Naruto she'd go crazy." She was stitching a hole in one of the sleeves.

"They cut the funding for the Nine Tails relief." Shikaku sat next to his wife.

"Fucking ridiculous. These kids are the village's future and they just cut them off." Yoshino sighed.

"Danzo had his hand in it I'm sure. His new underground whatever is part of the new military defense. No matter how I balanced the numbers, they wouldn't listen."

"Don't give up. Please." Yoshino rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

"Why are you fixing a jacket?"

"Naruto said he can't afford new clothes. So I have to stitch this hole up. Or I'll strangle the Hokage." Yoshino tested the strength of her stitches.

"What happened to all the money Minato and Kushina left behind?" Shikaku doesn't remember seeing any special accounts being wiped clean. Usually when a shinobi dies the money goes to the next of kin. Both Kushina and Minato had thousands.

"No idea." She stood up and folded the beat up jacket. "I do know that he's been standoffish the whole day. Like we are going to kick him out." 

"I noticed that too." Shikaku rubbed his face and let out a frustrated sigh. He has to investigate Naruto now.

"Thank you." Yoshino kissed her husband, knowing her silent request was accepted and she left the room to deliver the jacket to Naruto.

"Fuck." Shikaku fell back into his bed and stared holes into the ceiling. He continued to stare until his wife yelled at him for dinner. Shikaku had a few ideas to refund the Nine Tails relief but Naruto was a delicate matter.

Even worse the kid ate like he was going to get his plate yanked away and when Shikaku reached out to grab another napkin Naruto flinched. It was so small but Shikaku picked on it. So did Shikamaru.

When all the kids were tucked in Shikamaru snuck outside to talk to his father.

"Why are people so mean to Naruto?" Shikamaru sat down opposite of his dad, who was busy playing shogi by himself.

"I can't tell you but just know that all kids are cruel." Shikaku moved a piece and sat back.

"Not just kids dad, the teachers are mean too, and some jonin." Shikamaru frowned.

"What? Like verbal stuff?" Shikaku lost all interest in his game.

"No. I saw someone kick him before. I tried to help him but the jonin ran away. Naruto didn't want me to touch him."

Shikaku took a deep breath and counted to three before he spoke again. "Don't worry about Naruto. I'll take care of everything."

"Really?" Shikamaru's eyes were wet.

"Yes. I swear on our Clan deer. I'll figure something out." Shikaku stood up and picked his son up. He put him back into his sleeping bag and made sure he was okay before devising a plan.

* * *

Shikaku woke up before anyone else. He couldn't sleep. The mere thought that grown adults were kicking a child was enough to light the fire in his veins he spent months to repress. He's always praised for keeping his head cool in times where no one can think.

He peeked into Shikamaru's room, making sure they were still asleep and then he made a pot of coffee. He had to make a checklist so he could gather his thoughts. He had to speak to Hiruzen about Minato and Kushina's money. Then depending on how that goes he has to talk about Naruto's care.

"What are you doing up so early?" Yoshino padded to the coffee pot and took the rest of the coffee.

"I never slept." Shikaku sighed.

The kids were making their way out into the kitchen and Yoshino started breakfast. Naruto wasn't among them.

"Where's Naruto?" Shikaku looked around, Shikamaru pursed his lips and shrugged.

"He said he had to go but then he jumped out of my window so I don't know."

Shikaku grabbed his list and his pelt then raced out the door to find him. If he's by himself he's open for attacks. The last thing he wants to see or hear is Naruto getting beat up after he promised himself he'd take care of the kid. He raced towards the apartment Naruto is staying in and knocked on the door.

It wasn't locked and there was no answer so Shikaku looked in. The place was a mess. It smelled like old milk and ramen. He looked in the kitchen, if one could even call it that, and groaned at the state of it.

He dared to check the fridge and then quickly regretted it. How was a 5 year old expected to care for themselves? There was no sign of an adult and not a single sign of cleaning supplies. He left the apartment and went back out to find Naruto.

It didn't take long, he heard the kid shout and he honed in on Naruto. Shikaku was right and he hated it. Three Chunin and a Jonin were busy terrorizing the blonde in a dark alleyway.

Shikaku suppressed his chakra and cleared his throat. "Hey guys, I was just wondering something and I was hoping you could help?" He smiled at the men who turned their attention on the Jonin Commander.

"What?" The Jonin didn't look scared in the slightest. Exactly what Shikaku wanted.

"I was just curious as to why three grown men are abusing a child?" His smile never wavered.

"He's the Nine Tails. He killed my wife and kids and deserves to die."

"Who is the Nine Tails? Why do you keep calling me that!?" Naruto was still curled up in a ball, defending his vital organs to see who was talking. He was shaking and his voice was rough.

Shikaku walked up to the small child and then turned to face the men who dared to call themselves shinobi. "A child?"

"The demon."

" _The child_." Shikaku's smile turned into a leer and he was ready to let all the anger he had built up into breaking every bone in their bodies. "Naruto go back to my house, Yoshino is making breakfast and she can clean you up."

"But I -" Naruto sat up and looked at the Nara.

"Now Naruto." Shikaku didn't have a bite in his tone but there was urgency. The blonde ran out of the alleyway and Shikaku could finally react.

It didn't take long. He wasn't the Jonin Commander for nothing. He had their headbands in his hands and blood all over his clothes. None of it is his.

"You three are discharged. Good luck finding a job." Shikaku stepped over the bodies and made his way to the Hokage Tower.

He wasn't bothered, the crazy look in his eye was subdued but the blood remained. He entered the Hokage's office without knocking and threw the offending headbands onto the old man's desk.

"We had to let some men go today." Shikaku smiled.

"Why are you covered in blood?" The Third Hokage eyed Shikaku and then took a puff from his pipe.

"For some reason the shinobi of this village, the ones who vowed to protect and defend their own people, are beating the shit out of a child because somewhere along the line, they think the Nine Tails morphed into a helpless 5 year old boy." Shikaku was still smiling.

"No idea why." Hiruzen glared at the Nara.

"You have no idea why a group of our grown shinobi are literally kicking Naruto to death in an alleyway?"

"I had no idea he was being abused."

"Okay. Next question, who is taking care of the kid?" Shikaku was on a roll, he knew his anger was flaring up again but he was going to save that for Danzo.

"No one. He is perfectly capable of taking care of himself." Hiruzen puffed on his pipe.

"Have you been into his apartment? Name one five year old in this whole village who is capable of taking care of themselves."

"Kakashi."

"You _know_ he's not the same as Naruto you can't even compare him." Shikaku ground out.

"I saw his apartment last week. It smelled but he was fine with it."

"Where's all of Minato and Kushina's money? Why does he only have two sets of clothes and no food?"

Hiruzen sighed. "I give him a monthly stipend. In cases of emergency we as a state sized all assets of fallen shinobi to offset the funding for medical supplies and new homes."

"You took all of Naruto's money and now you are struggling on whether to fund the military or feed a child who is being beaten and ostracized for what his parents did to save this village and the people. Lift the gag order." Shikaku didn't mean to threaten the Hokage but his brain was moving a mile a minute. All the pieces made sense.

"Are you threatening me Shikaku?" Hiruzen placed his pipe on his desk and threw Shikaku a dark look.

"Sure." Shikaku braced himself for the inevitable.

"What do you propose we do then?"

"We do nothing. I adopt Naruto and protect him. I don't need your money or your help."

"His seal might loosen and what then?"

"Jiraiya owes me one. So does Fugaku." Shikaku wanted to use the favor to help with the Nine Tail relief funding but one talk with Mikoto will be good enough. An Uchiha to control the beast and Jiraiya to reseal. Not complicated.

"Fine Shikaku, go ahead and take him in. If his seal breaks and he kills anyone it's on you." Hiruzen pulled a form out of his desk and slid it over to the Nara.

"He won't kill anyone. The Nine Tails will." Shikaku grabbed the form and skimmed it. A simple adoption form. Shikaku filled it out and signed it. "You still need to lift the gag order. This is ridiculous."

"I don't need the whole village to know how we handled the attack."

"At least let the people know Naruto isn't a demon." Shikaku was pleading. He can't be there every day for the kid. Shikamaru can only hold his own as much as the next five year old.

"No Shikaku. I can't have someone go digging around." Hiruzen waved him off. The conversation was over. Shikaku walked out of the Hokage's office more frustrated than he was going in. He took a deep breath and scratched his bread. At least he can help the kid.

Shikaku walked home and right into the arms of Yoshino. "We have a new son."

"Smart." Yoshino kissed him and called Naruto and Shikamaru. They were playing outside.

Naruto saw the blood on Shikaku's pants and went still. The Nara knelt down and pulled the blonde into a hug. "Welcome to the family."

"Family?" Naruto looked at Shikaku, his blue eyes glistening, tears ready to fall.

"Yeah kid. Family. You aren't on your own anymore, we will protect you." Shikaku smiled.

"Promise?" Naruto was bawling and all Shikaku could do was nod and hug the blonde until he was calm. 

**Author's Note:**

> I let this open for another chapter or sequel ~


End file.
